The World Is Brighter
by storydany
Summary: (One-Shot Gift) An evening out at on the water takes an unexpected turn for Emma Swan. Killian Jones shows her the lights of the night and their future looks brighter than ever before.


**I'm sorry if you expected another chapter for WOTG today, but I wanted to finish this fanfic part of my present dedicated to my tumblr _"Captain Swan Valentine."_ You guys get the first look before I show it to her on Sunday, February 15th so let me know what you think!**

**It is a one-shot heavily inspired by her favorite Captain Swan song: "Lights by _Sleeping At Last." _You'll see it includes exact lyrics from the song because it is sooo beautiful. I will have a (PLAY) on the part I recommend you play the song while you read. You can find it on youtube and make sure you listen to the whole thing, it's absolutely emotional.**

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"This isn't too bad," Emma murmured against Killian's shoulder as they stared out at the coming sunset. The water reflected the bright colors of the sky; shining red, orange, yellow, blue and purple.

Waves rocked the small ship gently and they held on to each other closely for warmth against the wind. Killian had his arm around Emma and his head rested against hers. The water birds had gone to rest so only the sound around them was their steady breathes and the waves endlessly moving and colliding with the metal hull below them.

"I told you I knew how to plan an evening out, Swan" Killian hummed and squeezed her more tightly against him.

"How long have you all been planning to do this?"

"You needed some time away from work, love. Henry and your parents agreed."

"Yea but-"

"I didn't bring you all the way out here to talk about the town," Killian lifted his head up and Emma followed, "You deserved this."

He smiled softly at her and Emma couldn't help but lean in to touch his smile with her own. Their lips slowly parted, no rush troubled them as they shared a slow and passionate kiss alone in the middle of the waterbody. Killian gently pulled away and smirked as he got up, leaving Emma confused and still hazy from their kiss.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked. Her eyes followed Killian as he opened a storage compartment on the ship.

"What's that?" Emma raised an eyebrow. Part of her couldn't believe Killian thought to bring music on board and part of her couldn't believe he even knew what that was. Still, her heart swelled with emotion; pride for his growing knowledge of modern culture and love for his thoughtfulness. No matter how many dates they had, he had always surprised her with how much he put into making their time together perfect.

"A music player, love. Aren't you suppose to be the device expert in this relationship?" he chuckled and walked toward her with the iPod and speaker.

_Relationship_. It was easy now for Killian to admit they've been together after months of slowly helping Emma bring down her walls. When he looked at her now, she openly glowed with love where he had once known a woman desperate to hide herself. There were no words for him to express his joy in the feeling that his devotion was shared. Never again did he hold back his adoration for her, and he hoped today would prove to her that he'd never tire of loving her. She was his beating heart, the air in his lungs and the light of his life.

"Henry let me borrow his device and lent me your speaker, if that is alright."

"I'm not complaining," Emma grinned. She was sure the wonderful dorks had compiled a playlist for tonight.

Killian put the speaker down on the ship's stairs and turned on the iPod. Music filled the air and Killian extended a hand to Emma whose eyes widened.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, beaming.

Emma took his hand and got up, "You may," she smiled as he brought her hand up and kissed and planted a gentle kiss at the top – never dropping his eye contact. His eyes were blue like the sky before dusk but she drowned in them like they were the sea. Emma shuddered at the way he looked at her, with so much love.

Killian slowly led her towards the center of the ship and they danced quietly for what seemed to be hours. They were hardly paying attention to how they moved, and more so on staring into one another's eyes, blue against green like the water beneath them, and keeping close against the windy night.

The sunset was gone and it was dark as the music faded completely. Emma rested her head on Killian's shoulder, closing her eyes breathing in his strangely intoxicating scent of salt, leather and a _hint_ of rum.

"Emma." Killian whispered.

"Mm?" Emma didn't even do so much as open her eyes. She was too comfortable to move.

"It's September here in Maine…" he said softly.

"And?" Emma opened her eyes now, and lifting her head to give him a quizzical stare.

"There's something I want to show you that only happens around this time."

"We're on a boat." Emma reminded him.

"If I remember correctly…" Killian lifted his hand to check his watch.

"What?"

Killian's eyes lit up and he beamed at his watch, taking Emma's hand.

"Killian, what-"

"This way, Swan." he pulled her quickly and led to the higher part of the ship.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Emma exclaimed. She tried to sound stern (because she wasn't a fan of being left out and confused,) but it was impossible to keep the excitement out of her voice as he pulled her towards the tip of the ship behind the steering wheel.

"I could have tripped, Killian. It's dark as hell." she said as they finally stopped at the edge of the boat.

"Lass, I would have caught you."

She could see his grin even in the darkness.

"What's this all about?" Emma looked out across the dark sea.

"You'll see, love." Killian smiled towards the sky.

**(PLAY)**

Suddenly in the darkness, a green glow began to fade into the sky like a strange sunrise on the horizon.

Emma gasped. She stared, spellbound, as it flickered and expanded into squirls against the dark night. More colors began to appear: blue, purple and pink and a little bit of red. Some of them squirled as they flickered stretched like fingers. Emma was completely in awe. At first she didn't realize her mouth was hung open as she stared above them until her tongue began to dry.

"The northern lights… they're absolutely beautiful." Emma breathed. She pulled away from being mesmerized by the sky and looked over to Killian. He was illuminated by the lights and colors but wasn't looking at them. He was smiling at her.

"Aye" Killian murmured, taking her hand into his own. Emma smiled down at their interlaced fingers before looking back up at nature's beautiful display of colors. It was absolutely magical.

"I didn't know this could happen in Maine…" said Emma.

"Beauty in such a place is rare. Since they are quite unpredictable, it took a little bit of magic to find it." Killian paused to move a few strands of Emma's hair with his hook. "A little bit like you, love."

Emma smiled adoringly at him, her eyes twinkling against the light in the sky. It took Killian's breathe away.

"You found these lights for me?" she whispered. Killian's heart clenched when he heard the surprise in her voice.

"I had a little help from Henry, Regina and your parents. After all, it required meddling with a magical weather compass to gather the exact time it would appear."

Emma was speechless. All the people she cared about the most came together to give her this special night with Killian. She would never forget it.

"Emma," Killian breathed, his voice wavering slightly as he stared at her. His eyes looked over every detail on her face, like he was memorizing her features thoroughly. Emma was a bit worried when he suddenly seemed incredibly anxious.

"All my life… I've lived shrouded by the darkness and pain of my past. Of losing my brother Liam and then my first love, Milah." Killian turned his body to face her completely and she followed his movements. Emma had to resist moving her hand to cup his cheek and comfort him as he moved in closer to her. He was holding her tightly with his own and his hook rested against her shoulder.

"My only will to live was fueled by hatred and anger. I wanted nothing more from the world than my revenge. That is… until I met you."

Emma shuddered with emotion as she remembered the first time he said those last six words to her before. It was when he confessed his love for her in Neverland after sharing their first kiss. The memory shook her with regret for all the pain she caused him in the past.

"Perhaps I was in love with you since the moment our eyes met, but I didn't know it until that kiss in Neverland. So I suppose the more accurate words are…since I realized I fell in love with you, Swan."

They stared at each other being illuminated brightly by the colors and lights of the sky. Emma was afraid to breathe, fearing she would interrupt Killian. Her heart felt like it would float out of her chest.

"You changed everything. Emma, you gave me a much better reason to live… Love. I'm a better man because you believed in me and _guided_ me. You, my love, were always the light in my darkness."

"These northern lights," Killian's eyes didn't move from hers, "…though they are no where near as bright and beautiful as you are, give you something of an idea of what you mean to me. The world is brighter than the sun now that you're here."

Emma's throat tightened her vision blurred as he brought their entwined hands to his chest and rested his hook over them. She brought her other hand to be on top of his hook and her body was humming with his touch.

"I'm a million years old, as you like to say…" He smiled and Emma exhaled a strong breath from her nose to express her amusement but she felt much more then that - she felt like a worshipped goddess under his gaze. Emma bit her lips but couldn't stop the tears from starting to run down her cheeks. Every word he spoke seemed to send electricity through Emma's veins and wrapped her entire being with the warmth and security of his love.

"Though your heart is far too young to realize, the _unimaginable_ light you hold inside of you… Emma you are loved more than you know. And…." There was a slight tremor in Killian's voice. "I hereby _pledge_ all of my days and nights for the _rest_ of my life to prove it so."

Emma's beaming smile was slightly pursed as she tried to contain her tears. Her heart felt like it was going to burst with emotion and there was nothing she wanted to do more than hold Killian against her and feel his warmth; To make love to him under the stars and northern lights – kissing him until the sun rose. But to her disappointment, he gently let go of her hands and moved a step backwards from her.

Killian reached for something inside his leather pocket. Emma's felt her breath catch in her throat as Killian took out a small jewelry box. Everything in the universe seemed to stop when he bent down on one knee in front of her. Killian gazed up at her with a nervous smile and the most adoring blue eyes that ever made contact with hers. For a second, every single moment, every look, every word, and every touch they had with each other since they first met, so many years ago, flashed before her eyes. Her heart pounded against her ribs with the force of her love for him and the realization that he was everything she ever wanted. He was her happy ending.

"Emma, light of my life, only you are my happy ending." he said, his brow furrowing slightly and eyebrows arched upward as he stared at her expectantly.

Killian opened the jewelry box to reveal a _stunning_ white sea pearl ring accented with silver decorations circling the shining pearl that were embedded with small glistening diamonds. The ring's beauty was nothing in comparison to the love that always showed in Killian's eyes, but the realization of what it meant rendered Emma breathless and joyful beyond measure at its sight.

When Emma looked back up at Killian, she was under the full force of his powerful blue gaze reflecting the overwhelming love that she also felt.

"...Would you, Emma Swan, give me the _indescribable_ honor of your hand in marriage?"

Emma's smile reached up to her eyes and she put a hand over her mouth as tears spilled down her cheeks.

She quickly wiped her tears and began nodding many times over while letting out a laugh.

"I happily accept on one condition..." Emma answered, biting her bottom lip as she beaming down at Killian.

He exhaled shakily with a grin plastered on his face, realizing she mimicked his answer when she'd asked him on their first date almost a year ago. But she'd _accepted._ She wanted him too. His eyes widened and glistened with the threat of tears. Killian stared up at a woman he never would have thought he'd be worthy of. He felt as if his heart could have leapt out of his chest but instead it pounded _so_ strongly that he felt it's vibrations all over his body as he slowly stood up.

"Anything, love. I would rearrange the stars and pull them down to where you are if you wanted me to." Killian almost stuttered, elation beyond description had made him like a nervous child and his cheeks hurt from smiling.

"...I get to plan the wedding." Emma grinned.

Killian laughed and nodded, "Of cour-"

He could not finish his sentence before Emma had leap into his arms and took his lips with her own. They kissed passionately under the colorful, glowing sky and surrounded by the water. Both of them felt high on the emotions of the night and captivated by the promise of a future together.

Emma wouldn't have the ring, or anything else, on herself until later in the morning.

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**Review?**

_[Fact: Northern lights are rare in Maine, USA but do actually occur (:]_


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